Coast Lines: Sunset Swimming

I’ve  that I’m trying to experience more of the beach than I did before. I’m still not feeling one hundred percent comfortable out on the sand and in the water (I still feel way too pale and feel embarrassed when I take off my shirt) but I’ve been finding new and interesting things to do while out.

Yesterday, I found what might become my new favorite activity in the water. Sunset Swimming. While relaxing with my wife, Candy, and two friends, Darrell and Heather, we all decided we wanted to go swimming.

We all headed down to my apartment complex’s small pool that was filled with screaming and energetic youngsters jumping in and out of the water.

Seeing that the pool was packed, we headed by to my apartment when I remembered that my wife and I live right by the water. After bringing up the idea to hit the ocean, we all piled in my car and headed down to Madeira Beach.

When we got there, the sun was hanging low and it looked like we had around an hour and a half of daylight left. We decided to utilize it to the fullest.

The waves were crashing harder and higher than they normally do, so Darrel and Candy decided to try and do some body-surfing.

My experience with any type of surfing consisted of listening to the Beach Boys and colloquialisms of going on-line. My wife, on the other hand, was born and raised in California and grew up thinking the ocean was her second home. After watching her gracefully glide along with the waves, I asked Candy how to do it.

“Just swim really fast when the wave’s coming and stop when it hits you,” Candy said.

Easier said than done, at least for me. After my experience trying to body surf, I ended up with so much salt water clogging my nose and mouth; I was left coughing and sputtering on the beach.

By the time I regained my senses, my wife and friends had made it out to a sandbar where the water was much shallower. Following them, we let the waves crash against us as we watched the sun get lower and lower in the sky.

When the sun was just about to set, we made our way back to shore. Candy informed us that staying out in the water past sunset was dangerous and illegal.

I’m sure that having my friends and wife with me played a large role, in the entertainment but there’s something innately soothing watching the sun set while in the ocean. The waves motion moving you back and forth while the sun creates a plethora of brilliant colors filling the sky.

It’s definitely an excursion that I plan on doing again soon.